Building structure



p 1948. w. GILLE'I'I' ETAL 2,449,292

BUILDIIIG STRUCTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Juno '1; 1944 mmvmns mumGILLETT y EDWARD LIN.

LER 4 ATTORNEYS Sept. .14, 1948. w. GILLEHT ETAL 2,449,292

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FIGJS.

INVENTORS WILLIAM GILLETT BY EDWARD AJMLLER ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 14,1948 BUILDING STRUCTURE William Gillett, Grosse Pointe Park, and EdwardA. Miller, Detroit, Mich., asslgnors to Detroit Steel Products Company,Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application June 7, 1944,Serial No. 539,134

4 Claims. 1

The invention relates to building structures and refers moreparticularly to metallic building structures comprising prefabricatedunits which may be readily assembled to form the flooring, roofing andwalls of a building.

The invention has for one of its objects to provide a building structurewhich is formed of units which may be economically manufactured andreadily assembled.

The invention has for another object to so con struct the buildingstructur that the installation of water or other conduits and electricwiring is facilitated.

The invention has for a further object to so construct the buildingstructure that the assembly of the units is facilitated and the buildingstructure has the main portions of its opposite faces in flush relation.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing description, taken in connection with the'accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective viewof a unit employed informing the building structure;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of an assembly of units;

Figure 3 is an end view of a portion of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view, partly broken away and in section,illustrating a building structure embodying the invention;

Flgurefi is an enlarged cross section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 illustrating another buildingstructure embodying the invention;

Figure 7 is a sectional view illustrating other installations of theunit;

Figure 8 is a sectional view illustrating another installation;

Figure 9 is a plan view illustrating a modified construction of unit;

Figure 10 is an end view thereof;

Figures 11 and 12 are views similar to Figures 9 and 10, respectively,illustrating another modifled construction of unit;

Figures 13 and 14 are views similar to Figure 9 illustrating othermodified constructions of unit;

Figures 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 are views similar to Figure 10illustrating other modified constructions of unit.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustrate the unit which is employed to form thebuilding structure, such as the flooring, roofing and walls of thebuilding. Each unit i comprises the structural element 2 and the closureor cover 3. Th structural ele- 2 ment is formed of sheet metal andparticularly sheet steel and comprises the spaced substantially parallelsheets 4 and 5 of different width and the stiffening web members 6extending longitudinally of and between and secured to the sheets. Theweb members are channel-shaped and preferably open laterally outwardlyof the unit and have their flanges adjacent the sheet 4 fixedly securedas by welding to this sheet adjacent its opposite side edges. The otherflanges of the web members are fixedly secured as by welding to thesheet 5 with the flange of one member secured to the sheet 5 adjacentits side edge, which is in substantially transverse alignment with oneof the side edges of the sheet 4. With this construction the sheet 5extends laterally beyond one edge of the sheet 4 and th sheets 4 and 5and the web members 6 form a longitudinal cell extending from adjacentthe substantially transversely aligned side edges of the sheets.

The sheet 4 has at its opposite side edges the female parts 1 which areformed by the curved flanges 8 extending transversely of the sheet 4 andinwardly of the unit and opening transversely outwardly of the unit. Thesheet 5 has at its opposite side edges the longitudinally extendingcomplementary male and female parts 9 and iii, respectively, which areformed by the flanges ii and i2, respectively, extending transversely ofthe sheet 5 and inwardly of the unit. The flange I l is relativelyplain, while the flange i2 is curved and opens transversely outwardly ofthe unit. .The construction is such that with the units extending sideby side the male part 9 engages the female part ID of the adjacent unitand the units form v a channel or space extending longitudinally of theunits between the adjacent web members 6 and open between adjacentsheets 4 for access to the joint formed by the male and female parts tofacilitate their assembly and secure the desired flush relation of theopposite faces of the units. Furthermore, this channel or space providesfor the ready installation of water or other conduits and electricwiring. The cover 3 has at its opposite side edges the likelongitudinally extending male parts i3 which are formed by thetransverse flanges i4 extending inwardly of the unit'and adapted toengage the female parts 1 of the ad- Jacent sheets 4, thereby closingthe channel or space. Th construction provides for the outer faces ofthe sheets 4 and covers 3 of the units bein flush and also the outerfaces of the sheets 5 of the units being flush.

For the purpose of securing an interlocking between the adjacent unitsand also an interlocking of the covers with the narrower sheets, themale parts formed by the relatively plain flanges are bossed at I! atspaced points longitudinally of the male parts and the openings of thefemale parts formed by the curved flanges have a width such as torequire springing of either or both the female parts and the male partswhen assembling the units.

While the gauge of the sheets I and 5, the web members 8 and the cover 3may be the same, it is preferable to form them of different weights soas to secure structural economy and major value in the distribution ofthe metal. Since it is a well known engineering fact that compressionmem-" bers in thin sheets are not fully effective in carrying loads dueto the propensity of the sheets to wave and buckle, thi is taken intoaccount in the design of the unit by using a relatively heavier gauge inthe sheet 4 and balancing the unit with this function in mind. As shownin the present instance, the sheet 4 is twelve to fourteen gauge, theweb members 6 are fourteen to sixteen gauge, and the sheet 5 and thecover 3 are sixteen to eighteen gauge.

As illustrated in Figure 4 and 5, the units are supported at their endsupon the beams i6 and, in addition to extending side by side, extend endto end and are in alignment so that the channels or spaces in one row ofunits are in alignment with the channels or spaces in the other row ofunits. In this building structure the adjacent ends of the web members 8are cut away at I! to receive a conduit l8 which extends transversely ofthe units. The conduit 18 is formed of the generally channel-shapedtrough I 9 resting on and carried by the web members and the closure orcover 20 preferably having snap engagement with the upper portions ofthe side walls of the trough. This construction is adapted particularlyfor use in installing wiring, the side walls of the trough beingprovided with knock-out plugs which may be punched out where desired forthe passage of the wiring into the channels or spaces of the units. 2|is a subflooring supported by the units, including their covers; and bythe transverse conduit, including its cover. 22 is the finish flooringresting upon the subflooring. Holes 23 may be made in the covers 3 toregister with suitable outlets in the subflooring and finish flooring toprovlde'for the passage of the wiring. The construction provides for alarge range of positions of the wiring outlets.

Figure 6 illustrates another treatment embodying the units in which thewider sheets 21 of the units differ from the wider sheets of the units lby being perforated. These wider sheets carry the spacer grids 25 whichsupport the sound deadening material 26 in spaced relation to the widersheets.

As illustrated in Figure '7, the width between the opposite walls is nota multiple of the width of the units and, as a result, the flooring iscompleted by the unit 21 having a width less than that of the units I.As shown, the unit 21 is a starter unit adjacent the left hand wall andcomprises spaced substantially parallel upper and lower sheets 28 and29, respectively, and the reinforced web members 30. The flanges of theweb members are fixedly secured as by welding to the sheets adjacenttheir side edges. The upper and lower sheets have corresponding sideedges in alignment ransversely of the unit for extendin adjacent to orabutting the wall. The upper and lower sheets have at their other sideedges the female and male parts 3! and 32, respectively,

which are formed in the same manner as the female parts I and male parts9 of the units I and which engage the male part II of the adjacent cover3 and the female part ill of the adjacent lower sheet 5. Figure 7 alsoshows a different treatment in which the assembled units form an outsidecurtain wall secured to the frame of the building. The units extendvertically and enclose insulation 33.

Figure 8 illustrates. another installation in which the elements form awall diflering from that of Figure 7 essentially in having the covers 34and the narrower sheets 35 perforated and in securing sound-absorbentmaterial I! to th wider sheets 31 in spaced relation to the narrowersheets.

Figures 9 to 19, inclusive, illustrate various manners of reinforcingthe units by strengthening the sheets which are under compression.

In detail and as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the narrower compressionsheet 38 of less width is provided with the depressed longitudinallyextending staggered ribs 39 and 40 spaced from its opposite side edgesand with the depressed diagonally arranged ribs 4| and 42 which extendfran the spaces between the ribs 39 to the spaces between the ribs 40,the arrangement, in effect, providing a triangular ribbing. As a result,the narrower sheet is reinforced both longitudinally and transversely.

As illustrated in Figures 11 and 12, the narrower sheet 43 of each unitis provided with the depressed longitudinally extending rib I whichextends from end to end of the sheet and longitudinally reinforces thesheet.

Figure 13 shows the narrower sheet 45 provided with the depressedtransversely extending ribs 40 which are spaced apart longitudinally ofthe sheet and serve to reinforce the sheet transversely.

As shown in Figure 14, the narrower sheet 41 is formed with thedepressed diagonal ribs II which extend from adjacent one side edge toadjacent the other side edge and which serve to reinforce the sheet bothlongitudinally and transversely.

Figure 15 illustrates the unit win its narrower sheet 0 and also itscover Ill each formed with a depressed longitudinally extending rib 5|which forms a groove for receiving the nailing strip 52' having itsouter face flush with the outer face of the sheet and the cover.

In Figure 16 the unit is shown as having its cover 61 depressedlongitudinally from adjacent its opposite side edges to form thelongitudinally extending channel 54 which is adapted to receive concreteand produce, in efiect, a reinforced girder.

As shown in Figure 17, the bottom 55 of the depressed portion of thecover 56 is formed with the upstanding dovetail projection 10 for firmlyanchoring concrete in the cover.

Figure 18 shows the depressed portion ll of the cover 59 provided withthe reinforcing grid 00 which may be suitably secured in the channelformed by the depression, as by being welded in place, and which servesto reinforce the concrete. I

Another manner of reinforcing the unit is shown in Figure 19 in which IIis an angleshaped member preferably formed of sheet metal extendinglongitudinally of and secured to the inner side of the narrower sheet 82substantially midway between its side edges.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. A building structure comprising a plurality of units extending sideby side and end to end in substantially longitudinal alignment eachhaving a structural element comprising spaced substantially parallelsheets of different width and stiffening members between and secured tosaid sheets, and a closure, the wider sheets having at their side edgescomplementary male and female parts for engagement with the female andmale parts of the wider sheets of adJacent units, the narrower sheetshaving at their side edges female parts, the closures having male partsat their side edges f'r engaging the female parts of the narrower sheetsof adjacent units, and a conduit extending transversely of said unitsand located between adjacent ends thereof, said conduit comprising atrough supported on said stiffening members and adapted to communicatewith the spaces closed by said closure, and a closure for said trough.

2. A building structure comprising a plurality of units extending sideby side and end to end in substantially longitudinal alignment, eachhaving a structural element comprising spaced substantially parallelsheets of different width, and stiffening members between and secured tosaid sheets. the wider sheets having at their side edges complementarymale and female parts for engagement with the female and male parts ofthe wider sheets of adjacent units, and a conduit extending transverselyof said units and located between adjacent ends thereof, said conduitcomprising a trough supported on said stiffening members and adapted tocommunicate with the spaces between said stiffening members, and aclosure for said trough.

3. A building structure comprising a plurality of units extending sideby side and end to end in substantially longitudinal alignment, eachhaving a structural element comprising spaced substantially parallelsheets of different width, and stiffening members between and'secured tosaid sheets, the wider sheets having at their side edges complementaryconnecting means for effecting an interlock with the correspondingconnecting means of the wider sheets of adjacent units, and a conduitextending transversely of said units and located between adjacent endsthereof, said conduit comprising a trough supported on said stiffeningmembers and adapted to communicate with the spaces between saidstiffening members, and a closure for said trough.

4. A building structure comprising" a plurality of units extending sideby side, each having a structural element comprising spacedsubstantially parallel sheets of different width, and stiffening membersbetween and secured to said sheets, the wider sheets having at theirside edges complementary male and female parts for engagement with thefemale and male parts of the Wider sheets of adjacent units, and aconduit extending transversely of said units and located at the ends ofa row of said units, said conduit comprising a trough supported partlyon said stifiening members and adapted to communicate with the spacesbetween said stiffening members, and a closure for said trough.

WILLIAM GILLE'T'I. EDWARD A. MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,867,433 Young July 12, 19322,031,631 Bemis Feb. 25, 1936 2,099,211 Lucius Nov. 16, 1937

